Wednesday night will mark three weeks that Lupul, his signature still fresh on a five-year contract extension, suffered a broken right forearm during a game in Pittsburgh when he was hit by a Dion Phaneuf slapshot.

What has made his role as spectator easier to digest is the Maple Leafs’ 8-5 record.

“There is definitely some belief there now that we can really be a good team,” Lupul, in his first meeting with reporters since suffering the injury, said as the Leafs visited the Hospital for Sick Children on Tuesday.

“It’s really nice to see what the guys are doing. You can really feel the guys coming together.”

Lupul has been riding a bike and doing other workouts with his legs, but he has not done any upper-body exercises yet. He hopes to get back on the ice “in the next couple of weeks.”

It’s a sign of the Leafs’ depth when they’ve been winning games without Lupul and with just two goals from Phil Kessel.